Fish kill at Savannah refuge seasonal event

With the recent opening of the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, visitors to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge may notice dead fish floating in the water along a portion of the Wildlife Drive. Visitors should not be alarmed at this sight, as it is a naturally occurring event that often happens during the summer months. The fish kill at the refuge is due to a lack of oxygen in the water. For a dissolved oxygen or DO-related fish kill to occur, a combination of environmental conditions must be present. Hot weather, high water temperatures, shallow water depth, the amount and type of plant growth, and decay all play a role in the depletion of oxygen in the water at the refuge. All of these factors are contributing to the fish die-off.

Most DO-related fish kills occur in the warmer months, from May through September, when water temperatures are high and organic matter is decomposing in the shallow water. This decomposition uses the available oxygen, thus robbing it from the water. Once air and water temperatures decrease, refuge staff expect the fish kill to end. The dead fish being consumed by the alligators and birds will not cause harm to these species since it is not contaminant-related.

Savannah NWR is one of more than 550 national wildlife refuges located throughout the United States. The nearly 30,000-acre refuge is home to bald eagles, neo-tropical migratory songbirds, large concentrations of wading birds and wintering ducks, and American alligators. The Savannah NWR Visitor Center is open frin 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday–Saturday and is closed Sundays and all federal holidays.